“My dear girlfriend.” Chunji called Jiyoon in the middle of their walk back to the hostel after dinner. His arm wrapped the thin waist of her, pulling her close to him.

Jiyoon hissed. “Stop saying that! It’s gross!” she whined, trying to escape from him but she failed right away since Chunji’s grip on her was stronger.

The guy giggled while leaning his face towards her, smirking. “I love you.”

“Yeah I know it. Enough, Chanhee, enough.” Jiyoon rolled her eyes. “I love you too.”

“Call me Chanhee from now on,” demanded him. “Chanhee Oppa.”

Jiyoon frowned as she gave him a weird stare. “Chanhee. Just Chanhee.”

“Ya!” he eyed her at first but then he stole a kiss, again, before grinning teasingly at her.

“Haish! You’re really….ugh!” she slapped his head lightly.

They kept walking deeper into the alley, Chunji couldn’t stop teasing his new girlfriend while the girl couldn’t stop scolding him either. From a distance Jiyoon noticed someone familiar. It was one of the drunkard she had met before, drinking again, but he’s alone that time. The drunkard turned his head at them as he felt someone coming towards his way. He wasn’t drunk enough that night, looking at Jiyoon with that I-knew-her-somewhere stare.

Jiyoon reflexively clenched the end of Chunji’s shirt as she shifted closer to him. Chunji was puzzled by her sudden change. He didn’t understand why Jiyoon seemed to be scared of the drunkard so much who’s standing still on his place, not even doing anything that could harm them.

Chunji held her hand, wishing it could calm her down any bit. The drunkard’s gaze was following the two’s movement when they walked him by. Jiyoon stole glances through the corner of her eyes, just to make sure that he didn’t stalk them or something. Her heart was pounding all along as her brain started bringing out those bad memories from that night.

“Why do you seem so scared? He won’t do anything,” asked Chunji. They were far enough from the drunkard then, but Jiyoon still couldn’t stop stealing glances at her back.

But he did before. Jiyoon inhaled deeply. “I’m just worried.”

“Don’t worry, I’m here.” Chunji smiled warmly at her before pulling her into another hug.

If that guy could bring Changjo down, if they actually fought him back back then, he could knock you down in a blink, Chanhee. Jiyoon held his hand tighter. “I’m just..”

Chunji kissed her forehead. “Don’t mind it.”

“Here comes the lovebirds.” L.Joe welcomed the couple happily as they went into their room. “Sleeping on the same bed tonight?”

His question brought laughter to the others, even Changjo although he faked it. Jiyoon kicked L.Joe’s leg to answer. “Shut up.” She glared at him.

“But that’s not a bad idea though.” Chunji shrugged. Jiyoon’s glare then moved towards him, while on the other side Changjo’s face stiffened, trying to laugh in bitterness.

“Where did you go?” Ricky curiously asked. Somehow Jiyoon thanked Ricky for changing the topic, for saving her from L.Joe’s absurd talk.

“Just a dinner.” She shyly smiled.

Niel showed his evil smirk. “Just a dinner? Really? Just a dinner, she said, hyung.” He nudged CAP beside him.

“So, that’s all what Lee Chanhee can do? Just a dinner? Geez, you better go out with me, Jiyoon-ah,” CAP teased them.

I can treat you way better than that, Changjo thought. I just don’t have the chance.

“Don’t you dare, Minsoo,” threatened Chunji. “She’s mine.” He declared it clearly in the end.

Playing protective, huh? Cool, Changjo mentally hissed.

“Woah, you’re acknowledging it now? So it’s official?” Ricky caught him who were denying their suspicions on them before. Chunji’s face redden, he moved his gaze away from Ricky.

“Let’s hear it from the girl then,” CAP butted in. “Are you both really dating, Jiyoon-ah?” the guys were waiting for her words in silence.

Jiyoon bit her lower lip as she scanned their anticipating faces one by one. “Uh…hehe.” She grinned shyly at them.

The room soon was buzzed by their teases on Chunji whose face was completely flushed, getting as red as tomatoes. He might be a flirt, but he really was a fool like what L.Joe had said. Jiyoon smiled at herself looking at Chunji’s other self, pleased by what she’s seeing that moment.

They’re too focused on teasing the lovebirds that none of them noticed Changjo had sneakily gone.

Changjo was mad. Mad at nothing. He didn’t know to whom his tantrums directed to. It wasn’t Chunji’s fault to flirt at Jiyoon. He liked her, and he didn’t know Changjo did the same. It wasn’t Jiyoon’s fault to take Chunji as her boyfriend if she loved him. It wasn’t the other hyungs’ fault either to tease the couple in front of him, the heartbroken Choi Jonghyun, since they had no idea about the real feelings of the guy whom not willing to open it up to them.

What he wanted was to play it safe.

Admitting that Chunji fell for her first, he didn’t want to let his ego ruined Teen Top. But on the other side he couldn’t let himself drowned in misery. The worst thing he’s thinking was that he had to interact with the couple for the rest of his life if Chunji would really marry her in the future. They’d get married and maybe having a couple of kids and so on. Those thoughts bugged Changjo’s mind. He knew he wouldn’t stand to see any of it. Leaving Teen Top’s brotherhood? It’s impossible. They were the only people he could rely on. He couldn’t live without them. He just couldn’t.

“Where’s Changjo?” asked L.Joe to anyone who’s willing to answer. It made the others realized that he’d already missing, again.

Ricky glanced at Changjo’s bed, finding no signs of his phone there. If he didn't leave his phone, he went for real. “Probably just being his self again.” He shrugged.

The missing guy was all alone in the deserted common room, shuffling TV channel. He let out a heavy sigh as he stared blankly at the screen. Frustrated, that’s what he felt. For hating Chunji, his own hyung he trusted, and not being able to express his feelings, both the love and the anger.

His empty gaze was still looking at the TV which then showing some kind of a late night talk show, not really putting his attention on it.

“Please don’t oversleep here, okay?” one of the staff warned him as she passed by. He glanced at her to gave an acknowledging nod.

I don’t think I can sleep peacefully tonight though.

Changjo spent the next 30 minutes by staring at the TV screen still. His eyes started getting heavier but his mind didn’t want to sleep. He couldn’t. He wouldn’t.

“Changjo-ya.” His favorite voice startled him, turning himself 100% up from his sleepiness. Jiyoon was standing beside the couch, stopping by. She was going to the pantry to get some water before she found him sitting there and staring blankly at the TV like a zombie. “You’ve been here all along?” Changjo forced a smile, not forgetting to act normal in front of her, nodded.

Jiyoon sighed in relief. “Are you going to go out again or something?” she asked.

“I don’t think so.” He shook his head. “Why? You sound…worried?” he really did feel the worries in her voice when she asked him. He wasn't sure if it's just him being overconfident or it really was the truth.

Jiyoon looked down on her feet, before deciding to sit beside him. “I… I saw one of the drunkards on my way back here.” She hesitated. “At the same place.”

His eyes widened, he was the one worried then. “He…didn’t do anything on you, right?”

“Chunji was with me, so yeah he didn’t do anything,” she answered. But the hesitant looks was still on her face, confusing Changjo.

“Good to hear.” He had no idea how to reply since it involved Chunji. In fact deep inside he couldn’t help to feel grateful that she was with Chunji that time or anything bad could’ve happened to her again when he wasn't there to save her.

The girl stayed silent. She’s looking down on her lap, playing with her fingers while biting her lower lip. “What’s wrong?” Changjo questioned her unusual gestures.

“I think he remembers me,” said Jiyoon. Changjo frowned, not getting what she’s talking about. “The drunkard. He looked at me with that stare, like he once knew me,” she explained.

“When he saw me, he turned to Chunji right away. Sure enough he’s expecting Chunji was you.” Jiyoon went on talking. “He looked at me with that certain gaze, but when he looked at Chunji, that gaze turned into a hesitant one. I.. I’m worried he would get his revenge if he met you,” she trailed off.

Changjo gulped on her explanations. He didn’t expect the drunkards to hang at the same place. He wasn’t worried about the revenge, but it’s about her. The drunkards might remember her, the face that had attracted them once.

Then it came to Chunji. Changjo cursed in his mind why she took him as her boyfriend. He knew Chunji. He might be good on hitting his brothers, but Changjo wasn’t that sure if he could do well in real fights.

“I’m sorry for taking you into this matter.” Jiyoon broke the silence since Changjo was drowned into his own thoughts. “And… I’m sorry for getting angry at you that night. I understood your intention was good, I was too upset back then.”

“Don't mind it.” Changjo smiled at her, not the forced one. “It’s not your fault, really. And don’t worry about his revenge on me, you’re the one who have to be careful.”

“Please take the guys with you if you’re going out around midnight,” Jiyoon told him, still with her worried looks. “You might take those three down that night, but we won’t know what could happen to you if you met them again.”

“I think I should’ve been the one who said that,” he chuckled lightly.

"I'm serious." Jiyoon cut him, glaring.

“Okay, I got it. Don’t worry about me, really," Changjo rushingly added.

But the worried looks hadn’t disappeared from her face. “I just feel like I have to be worried on this. I’m the one taking you in,” she sighed.

“Ya, look at me.” He raised her chin up gently. They stared into each other's eyes deeply in silence, not feeling the awkwardness they usually had before. “Don’t think about this too much, it’s gonna be okay.”

The two didn’t understand why they could freely talking normally to each other. Moreover, they even argued, competing to be the one more caring on the other. Jiyoon had introspected herself on what she had done on Changjo that night. She also thought Changjo suddenly was being a bit more kind to her because he had introspected his own self too. Added by the favor she had done for not telling the others about his black and blue body, also for saving him from Chunji’s notice back then. So she found it just normal for him to treat herself better.

“Jiyoon-ah?” the two startled by Chunji’s sudden appearance behind her. “What are you doing here?” he frowned.

“J-just having a talk with him,” she stuttered while Changjo awkwardly grinning at Chunji, back on his acting mode.

“I wondered what took you so long, I thought you went out alone,” said Chunji.

Jiyoon shook her head, smiling. “No, Oppa. I’ve been here talking with him.”

“It’s almost midnight, you should sleep,” Chunji told her, caring. Changjo was struggling to hold himself all along to witness the couple’s interaction again.

Jiyoon got up from her seat to approach Chunji whom then twined his arm around her waist right away when she got to him, forcing Changjo to look away from them. “Good night, Changjo.” She used it to get his attention on her again. She’s right, he turned to her. “Remember my words,” she sneakily mouthed to Changjo before walking away with Chunji after getting a nod from him.

“Sleep in my bed tonight?” Chunji poked her.

“That could do. I sleep in your bed and you sleep on the carpet.” She showed her winning smile.

Chunji hissed. “Sleep with me in my bed tonight,” he corrected.

“You want to kill L.Joe or what? The upper bed might collapse.” She rolled her eyes.

“It won’t! I took it as a yes.” He stole a kiss on her cheek.

Jiyoon pushed him away jokingly. “No way! I’m sleeping in my own bed tonight!”

“Then I’m moving to your bed.” He shrugged, laughing. “Be my bolster tonight.”

“You should’ve just got a bolster instead of a girlfriend, stupid.”

Changjo heard it all, even their voices were fading away slowly. But it’s still clear enough to be heard by him as he watched them sticking together walking down the hallway.

No matter how much you care about me, you’re still his. It doesn’t change the fact.